Thank You, Axl Rose

Yesterday was a rough day for me. Nothing in particular bad happened, and really, I have one of the greatest lives in the history of the world. But sometimes I wake up and I’m instantly moody. It happens about three times per month, like PMS spread out. But then a friend called to tell me about this story, and everything changed. Axl Rose refuses to attend the Rock Hall induction ceremony, nor will he accept their induction (*pupils dilate, exhale in relief). The melody of that sentence must be what listening to every song on Appetite all at once sounds like.
Rock n’ roll isn’t about receiving accolades or getting along with others. It’s aggressively individualistic, which is why we gravitate towards it. It’s raw, and powerful, indicating that humans are raw and powerful. The fundamental implication of rock n’ roll is that we don’t need anything besides ourselves to be whole and complete. We definitely don’t need a board of fuddy duddies telling us we’re good enough for their grandstanding, artificial organization—especially when receiving such accolades may compromise our integrity. This is why everyone likes Keith Richards more than Mic Jagger. And this is why we need to feel guilty before liking Bonot.

The only people Axl should be worried about offending are his fans, but really, as a fan, I must admit that we don’t really matter either. To those who fully understands their time on earth is limited, sitting around for a ceremony that ultimately doesn’t do anything is at the very least grating on the nerves. If we all usurped our own values to constantly do things that grated our nerves for the sake of being liked or fitting in, then rock n’ roll wouldn’t exist.